Latest news with #BobGattens

Yahoo

Nay Aug Park projects: New playground, storage building underway in Scranton

SCRANTON — Nay Aug Park projects involving construction of a disabled-accessible playground and a storage building for holiday light displays both began recently and continue to progress. All-inclusive playground A goal in the works in recent years, the disabled-accessible Butterfly Playground project encountered delays but now has had work underway in recent weeks on construction of a curbing border to surround a 'poured-in-place' rubber surface. A curbing border of the forthcoming Butterfly Playground under construction at Nay Aug Park in Scranton on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (JIM LOCKWOOD / STAFF PHOTO) 'It's all-inclusive. Kids and adults will be able to use it,' said Bob Gattens, the chairman of the Scranton Municipal Recreation Authority that primarily oversees Nay Aug Park. Playground equipment and apparatuses will get installed later at this amenity situated between the Schimelfenig Pavilion and the former zoo building that now houses the St. Cats and Dogs spay/neuter clinic. Most children and individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities or those who are neurodivergent may not be able to use the same equipment in the same kind of environment as others who aren't facing those challenges. The Butterfly Playground will accommodate them and their families. 'Our goal is to provide a healthy, social skill-building and learning environment,' according to a description of the Butterfly Playground on the Nay Aug Park website. 'It is our effort to improve Nay Aug Park — 'Our Park' — so that those with physical disabilities are included and will know that their community cares about their needs.' A state grant, recreation authority funds and donations are funding the estimated $373,000 project, that might get completed in spring, with the city having taken the lead on construction, Gattens said. A sign for the forthcoming Butterfly Playground under construction in the background at Nay Aug Park in Scranton on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (JIM LOCKWOOD / STAFF PHOTO) The playground also might have future complementary phases, such as a pavilion and picnic tables, and for which the authority will aim to raise funds, he said. Meanwhile, the city last year demolished and removed an old wooden play area called Community Playground in a northeast corner of the park, near Hanlon's Grove and the former zoo building. Scranton work crews demolish and remove the former wooden Community Playground in a northeast corner of Nay Aug Park near the Hanlon's Grove area and former zoo building, on Dec. 11, 2024. (JIM LOCKWOOD / STAFF PHOTO) Storage building The authority is constructing a 100-feet-long by 40-feet wide maintenance storage building to house equipment and the many displays of the park's popular annual Holiday Light Show. A maintenance storage building under construction at Nay Aug Park in Scranton on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (JIM LOCKWOOD / STAFF PHOTO) The megawatt Christmas-themed light extravaganza that features displays erected along the park's interior loop road annually draws thousands of visitors. The displays previously were packed into trailers for storage and frames and bulbs often got damaged. 'We were spending close to $10,000 every year replacing bulbs,' Gattens said. The holiday lights display at Nay Aug Park (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO) The former storage trailers along a dead-end of Arthur Avenue also were rusty and unsightly, he said. The light displays now will go into the new building once it's completed, for better storage, maintenance and 'just to protect the investment,' Gattens said. The authority secured a loan to fund the estimated $138,000 cost of the building, which includes $80,000 for the building, $48,000 for a concrete floor and $10,000 for electricity, he said, noting the building will not be heated. A maintenance storage building under construction at Nay Aug Park in Scranton on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (JIM LOCKWOOD / STAFF PHOTO) Officials expect construction of this storage building to be completed soon. At the Feb. 11 meeting of Scranton City Council, council President Gerald Smurl said the holiday light displays remain up inside the park, pending completion of the storage building. 'We kept them up this long because it didn't make sense to take them down, put them in trailers and then take them out and put them into the new building. So that's why you still see the decorations up there,' Smurl said. 'The building is really moving along now.' * A curbing border of the forthcoming Butterfly Playground under construction at Nay Aug Park in Scranton on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (JIM LOCKWOOD / STAFF PHOTO) * A curbing border of the forthcoming Butterfly Playground under construction at Nay Aug Park in Scranton on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (JIM LOCKWOOD / STAFF PHOTO) * A sign for the forthcoming Butterfly Playground under construction in the background at Nay Aug Park in Scranton on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (JIM LOCKWOOD / STAFF PHOTO) * A maintenance storage building under construction at Nay Aug Park in Scranton on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (JIM LOCKWOOD / STAFF PHOTO) * A maintenance storage building under construction at Nay Aug Park in Scranton on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (JIM LOCKWOOD / STAFF PHOTO) * Scranton work crews demolish and remove the former wooden Community Playground in a northeast corner of Nay Aug Park near the Hanlon's Grove area and former zoo building, on Dec. 11, 2024. (JIM LOCKWOOD / STAFF PHOTO) Show Caption 1 of 6 A curbing border of the forthcoming Butterfly Playground under construction at Nay Aug Park in Scranton on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (JIM LOCKWOOD / STAFF PHOTO) Expand